Ghosts: A Natural History: 500 Years of Searching for Proof - Hardcover

Clarke, Roger

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1250053579 ISBN 13: 9781250053572

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 2014

Synopsis

Roger Clarke is now best known as a writer on film, but was once the youngest member of the Society for Psychical Research. He has now returned to his childhood obsession by writing this history of ghosts and ghost-hunting in Western culture. Asking not whether ghosts exist but rather what our ghost stories reveal about us, he examines both famous hauntings such as the notorious events at Borley Rectory and investigations by sceptics and parapsychologists.

About this title

Review:

"Beautifully written ... lithe, complicated and hugely rewarding." --"Sunday Times
""A gripping history that traces the scientific and social aspects of ghostly sightings. . . . [A] voyage through the half-lit world of lost souls ... tales told with ghoulish relish" --"Telegraph"
"Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be skeptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent
""Splendid ... compelling ... Clarke manages to give goose-flesh and a giggle while informing the reader - an enviable feat." --"Scotsman
""Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be sceptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent
""A fascinating social history ... exceptionally well written and researched." --"Starburst Magazine
""Outstanding ... Clarke's dissection of the shocks, sadnesses and sexiness of the seance tables from the late Victorian era is brilliantly done ... The book is deeply enjoyable, hugely informative and at times distinctly unsettling" --"Shade Point
""Lively and absorbing ... [Clarke] has proven himself an ideal guide to this troubled and disorderly realm." --"Literary Review"

"Ghost-hunting gets a gentlemanly makeover in this meticulous history of hauntings. Clarke indulges his lifelong interest in the paranormal in this well-documented look at ghost stories and the people who have told them throughout history... He covers everything in loving detail... Clarke's discussions of geography also lend realism...a useful index, a chronology and a reference list ...will serve other paranormal researchers well. Excerpts from letters, illustrations of experiments and many complex family trees ground in reality what could be dismissed as fantasy."- "Kirkus" "Beautifully written ... lithe, complicated and hugely rewarding." --"Sunday Times
""A gripping history that traces the scientific and social aspects of ghostly sightings. . . . [A] voyage through the half-lit world of lost souls ... tales told with ghoulish relish" --"Telegraph"
"Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be skeptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent
""Splendid ... compelling ... Clarke manages to give goose-flesh and a giggle while informing the reader - an enviable feat." --"Scotsman
""Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be sceptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent
""A fascinating social history ... exceptionally well written and researched." --"Starburst Magazine
""Outstanding ... Clarke's dissection of the shocks, sadnesses and sexiness of the seance tables from the late Victorian era is brilliantly done ... The book is deeply enjoyable, hugely informative and at times distinctly unsettling" --"Shade Point
""Lively and absorbing ... [Clarke] has proven himself an ideal guide to this troubled and disorderly realm." --"Literary Review"

"Roger Clarke tells this [the story that inspired Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw"] and many other gloriously weird stories with real verve, and also a kind of narrative authority that tends to constrain the skeptical voice within [an] erudite and richly entertaining book." --"New York Times Book Review"

"Ghost-hunting gets a gentlemanly makeover in this meticulous history of hauntings. Clarke indulges his lifelong interest in the paranormal in this well-documented look at ghost stories and the people who have told them throughout history He covers everything in loving detail Clarke's discussions of geography also lend realism...a useful index, a chronology and a reference list ...will serve other paranormal researchers well. Excerpts from letters, illustrations of experiments and many complex family trees ground in reality what could be dismissed as fantasy." --"Kirkus"

"Beautifully written ... lithe, complicated and hugely rewarding." --"Sunday Times"

"A gripping history that traces the scientific and social aspects of ghostly sightings. . . . [A] voyage through the half-lit world of lost souls ... tales told with ghoulish relish" --"Telegraph"

"Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be skeptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent"

"Splendid ... compelling ... Clarke manages to give goose-flesh and a giggle while informing the reader - an enviable feat." --"Scotsman"

"Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be sceptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject." --"Independent"

"A fascinating social history ... exceptionally well written and researched." --"Starburst Magazine"

"Outstanding ... Clarke's dissection of the shocks, sadnesses and sexiness of the seance tables from the late Victorian era is brilliantly done ... The book is deeply enjoyable, hugely informative and at times distinctly unsettling" --"Shade Point"

"Lively and absorbing ... [Clarke] has proven himself an ideal guide to this troubled and disorderly realm." --"Literary Review""

Roger Clarke tells this [the story that inspired Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw"] and many other gloriously weird stories with real verve, and also a kind of narrative authority that tends to constrain the skeptical voice within [an] erudite and richly entertaining book. "New York Times Book Review"

Ghost-hunting gets a gentlemanly makeover in this meticulous history of hauntings. Clarke indulges his lifelong interest in the paranormal in this well-documented look at ghost stories and the people who have told them throughout history He covers everything in loving detail Clarke's discussions of geography also lend realism...a useful index, a chronology and a reference list ...will serve other paranormal researchers well. Excerpts from letters, illustrations of experiments and many complex family trees ground in reality what could be dismissed as fantasy. "Kirkus"

Beautifully written ... lithe, complicated and hugely rewarding. "Sunday Times"

A gripping history that traces the scientific and social aspects of ghostly sightings. . . . [A] voyage through the half-lit world of lost souls ... tales told with ghoulish relish "Telegraph"

Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be skeptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject. "Independent"

Splendid ... compelling ... Clarke manages to give goose-flesh and a giggle while informing the reader - an enviable feat. "Scotsman"

Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be sceptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject. "Independent"

A fascinating social history ... exceptionally well written and researched. "Starburst Magazine"

Outstanding ... Clarke's dissection of the shocks, sadnesses and sexiness of the seance tables from the late Victorian era is brilliantly done ... The book is deeply enjoyable, hugely informative and at times distinctly unsettling "Shade Point"

Lively and absorbing ... [Clarke] has proven himself an ideal guide to this troubled and disorderly realm. "Literary Review""

Roger Clarke tells this [the story that inspired Henry James' The Turn of the Screw] and many other gloriously weird stories with real verve, and also a kind of narrative authority that tends to constrain the skeptical voice within [an] erudite and richly entertaining book. New York Times Book Review

Ghost-hunting gets a gentlemanly makeover in this meticulous history of hauntings. Clarke indulges his lifelong interest in the paranormal in this well-documented look at ghost stories and the people who have told them throughout history He covers everything in loving detail Clarke's discussions of geography also lend realism...a useful index, a chronology and a reference list ...will serve other paranormal researchers well. Excerpts from letters, illustrations of experiments and many complex family trees ground in reality what could be dismissed as fantasy. Kirkus

Beautifully written ... lithe, complicated and hugely rewarding. Sunday Times

A gripping history that traces the scientific and social aspects of ghostly sightings. . . . [A] voyage through the half-lit world of lost souls ... tales told with ghoulish relish Telegraph

Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be skeptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject. Independent

Splendid ... compelling ... Clarke manages to give goose-flesh and a giggle while informing the reader - an enviable feat. Scotsman

Compelling ... Research into the paranormal necessarily involves a fair degree of debunking, and Clarke is careful to be sceptical. The narrative of ghost-hunting is simultaneously a history and exposure of fraud and popular delusion ... [yet] Clarke retains a boyish and ... well-informed enthusiasm for his subject. Independent

A fascinating social history ... exceptionally well written and researched. Starburst Magazine

Outstanding ... Clarke's dissection of the shocks, sadnesses and sexiness of the seance tables from the late Victorian era is brilliantly done ... The book is deeply enjoyable, hugely informative and at times distinctly unsettling Shade Point

Lively and absorbing ... [Clarke] has proven himself an ideal guide to this troubled and disorderly realm. Literary Review

"

About the Author:

ROGER CLARKE is best known as a film-writer for the Independent newspaper and more recently Sight & Sound. Inspired by a childhood spent in two haunted houses, Roger Clarke has spent much of his life trying to see a ghost. He was the youngest person ever to join the Society for Psychical Research in the 1980s and was getting his ghost stories published by The Pan & Fontana series of horror books at just 15, when Roald Dahl asked his agent to take him on as a client.

About this edition

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1250053579
• ISBN 13: 9781250053572
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 359